Saturday, May 10, 2008

KLIMT TAROT

These have been very hard to capture; the gold embellishment glares back at the camera – I’ve tried it from all directions and this is the best I can get. I haven’t got a scanner. The art is just wonderful but there is no explanation as to how they’ve created them or who for that matter; I assume that Klimt is dead and these seem to be collages of his collages – some kind of insightful collaboration.

I’ve been browsing the cards at work – not using them yet; I need to know them a bit better for that. Angel and I were discussing the interpretations of some of them last night; for example the 4 of Wands is a woman with a baby – we are more used to the house image here, but I suppose you would have to feel secure and safe to create a family…barring accidents. And I love the way the women swim under the 7 of Swords, with that knowing and clever manipulation. The 9 of Cups is satisfied indeed but the absolute beauty in the overall picture of the 5 of Wands takes my breath away; you have to allow yourself the freedom to see the fragility of bones here as strength and determination to overcome obstacles – the background is stunning.

The 10 of Cups is a true representation of the life I lead in my early thirties; it was all wine and beer and 'Does my bum look fat in this?'

It’s always amazing to work with a new pack of cards; there is suddenly space inside your head, room for reaching out and catching new inspiration – time also to discard familiarities and lazy readings. I’ve got about six but used to have a lot more. There is always more than one way to read a card so replacing the usual image in front of us frees our minds. I spent time with a spiritual mentor many years ago and she taught me to read from nothing; the cards are just tools and we take notice of the details that are meant to capture our attention – that’s how the connection or bond is made between the reader and the questioner, that’s how we can pick up and describe parts of their lives that we could never know.

I’ve found reference to the designer in the little book (I hadn’t looked properly). It says, ‘Klimt and his strong allegorical subjects inspired the Tarot designed by A.A. Atanassov…The symbolism inherent in the Tarot is perfectly coherent with that symbolist culture that also gave origin to Klimt’s artwork.’

a writer, easily distracted by arts & crafts. Born in glasgow; 3 children and 6 grandchildren (so far). No husband to tie her down. Studied drama in gateshead, pottery and photography in glasgow; keeping music for her old age. If she could only restrain herself from going off at tangents she might actually finish something longer than a poem!